The Lady Mouse Detective
by DiscordantPrincess
Summary: When Basil is sick, Danielle takes his place on a case to find a missing lawyer. Can she and Dawson solve the mystery without the great detective's help? No flames, please, all flames shall be used to roast marshmallows for s'mores.
1. The Case

**Whassup, my fellow GMD fans? I had this idea for another fanfic, and I'm going to try to post as much of it as possible before I leave for winter break on Friday (won't be back until January 13th)!**

**As always, I don't own The Great Mouse Detective or its characters, only my OC's.**

LONDON 1899

"ACHOO!"

It was a dreary January day. At 221 1/2 B Baker Street, the home of famed consulting detective Basil Benson, aka Basil of Baker Street, the famed detective was lying in his bed, sniffling and sneezing. He had come down with a minor flu a few days ago and the virus now had him bedridden.

Dr. David Q. Dawson, Basil's sleuthing partner and best friend, was taking his friend's temperature at the time of the most recent sneeze. He flinched to get out of the detective's path, then sighed as he realized a small bit of mucus had hit his shirt sleeve. "Gesundheit."

Basil sniffed and grinned weakly at the doctor. "Thank you, Dawson. Sorry about your sleeve."

"No, no, it's fine, it'll clean off," Dawson replied, wiping the spot with his handkerchief. I just wish that you'd learn to cover your mouth, he added silently.

There was a knock at the door. Danielle Ratigan-Benson, Basil's wife, came into the bedroom. "How is he doing, Doctor?"

"Not splendid," Dawson replied. "His fever has gone down slightly, so that's a good sign, but he's still very ill."

"Ill? I think I may be DYING!" Basil moaned. "My nose is stuffy, I'm burning up, and every single part of my body hurts."

Danielle smiled and shook her head at her husband's melodramatic behavior. "It's just the flu, Basil. You'll feel better in a few days."

"Yes, because I'll be DEAD," Basil replied. His wife chuckled and sat next to him. "You really are a baby when it comes to being sick, aren't you?"

Just then, Mrs. Deirdre Judson, the mice's landlady and housekeeper, came into the room. "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but there's someone at the door, and she's asking to see Mr. Basil. What should I tell her?"

Basil frowned. "Tell her that I'll be right out." He sat up, then grimaced and clutched his stomach as it gurgled painfully from the flu. He lay right back down. "Or not."

"Don't worry, Basil, I'll talk to her," Dawson told his friend. The portly doctor got up from his seat and walked out to the main room, where a young woman of about twenty-five was waiting. She had auburn fur, red hair and bright green eyes and wore a dark green dress and coat and a white straw hat. She was sniffling into a plain white handkerchief. "Good evening, miss. I'm Dr. Dawson, Basil's partner. Basil is unwell, so..."

The woman blinked her eyes at the doctor. "I'm so sorry to bother you, Doctor. Perhaps I should come back when Mr. Basil is feeling better." She started off, but Dawson went up to her and gently held onto her hand.

"No, no, please stay, I shall talk to you," he reassured her. "Perhaps I can be of some assistance to you. Now tell me what is troubling you."

The woman sniffed. "My name is Vanessa. Vanessa Kingsleigh. I'm here about my husband, Harold Kingsleigh. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

"Yes, I believe I have...he's the co-manager of the Kingsleigh and Brennan Law Firm, correct?"

Vanessa smiled and nodded. "Yes, he is. Well, a few nights ago, Harold went out with his partner, Alfred Brennan, for a few beers...he hasn't been back home since! I tried talking to Mr. Brennan, but he won't see me. He claims he has no idea what's happened to my poor Harold. Usually he's so honest about things, but I don't know whether to believe him or not. Oh, I don't know what to do!" The young mouse woman sobbed into her handkerchief.

"Oh, you poor dear," Danielle responded, going up to the crying woman. "I can't imagine what you're going through. You must be so frightened!"

"Mrs. Kingsleigh, this is Danielle Benson, Basil's wife," Dawson introduced the two young women.

Vanessa sniffed. "Pleased to meet you, dear." She leaned into Danielle's chest and sobbed into her blouse. Rather than push the hysterical woman away, the ever-kind Danielle wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, my poor Harold! Where could he be?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Kingsleigh, we'll find him," Dawson reassured her. "Now, why don't you go home, maybe make yourself some soothing tea, and we'll contact you once we have more information?"

"That sounds lovely," Vanessa replied, straightening herself out. "Thank you, Doctor." With that, she left through the front door.

* * *

"...and now she has no idea where her husband has gone," Dawson was telling the story to Basil. "The poor thing is so distraught. The business partner claims he doesn't know his whereabouts, even though he was with him the night he disappeared."

Basil nodded. "That sounds suspicious. I think we should start by questioning him."

"WE? You're not serious, are you, Basil?"

"Of course I am, Dawson. You're going to need my help with this case. As intelligent as you are, old fellow, you're not the most observant of mice...no offense."

"None taken," Dawson lied, feeling more than a bit offended by his friend's comment. "But you're still very ill."

"Oh, come now, Dawson, I've never let being sick stop me from performing my duties as a detective, and I shan't begin today," Basil replied. He tried to sit up again, but immediately his stomach let out another loud grumble of pain. The detective lay back down and placed a hand on his belly. "Then again, perhaps I shall."

Danielle frowned as she thought of something. "Then I'LL take your place."

"WHAT?" both men reacted in unison.

"I'll help Dr. Dawson with the case," Danielle offered. "Like you said yourself, darling, he's not the most observant mouse in London...no offense, Doctor."

"Again, none taken," Dawson fibbed, although he was slightly less offended by Danielle than he had been by Basil.

"But Danielle, my dear, you don't know the first thing about being a detective," Basil reminded her.

"No, but I DID spend my childhood around criminals and thugs," Danielle reminded him. "I know all the tricks those gentlemen perform, and I can detect whenever they're lying. If Mr. Brennan is telling the truth about not knowing where Mr. Kingsleigh is, then I'll be able to tell. Besides, I want to help Mrs. Kingsleigh if at all possible. I know I'd want all the help I could get if you were the one missing."

Basil smiled. He knew his wife had excellent intentions, and that she was highly intelligent and capable of doing whatever she set her mind to...but more importantly, he knew that once she had her mind set on doing something, there was no way in hell anyone was going to talk her out of it. "Very well, Danielle, you can help Dr. Dawson with the case if you really want to. Just know that if you need any help whatsoever, you can always ask me."

Danielle smiled and kissed her husband's cheek. "I know, darling. But right now, you can help me by getting better as soon as possible, all right?"

"All right."

The young woman then ran out of the bedroom, followed by Dawson. She picked up her husband's Inverness cape and deerstalker hat and playfull tried them on. "How do I look?"

Dawson chuckled at his young friend's enthusiasm. "VERY detective-like."

"Good. Well, then, Doctor, let's away! The game is afoot!"

**Ooh, so Danielle is following in her husband's footsteps! Well, you know what they say; if you want to catch a criminal, send a criminal...or in this case, the daughter of the World's Greatest Criminal Mind, heeheehee!**

**I just realized that this is probably the first time since "The Great Mouse Detective 2: Unexpected Love" that Dr. Dawson is getting a major role in one of my fanfics...poor guy, I keep looking over him! Then again, most of my fanfics HAVE been Ratigan-centric, seeing as he's my absolute favorite character from the movie, but I thought I'd break away from my usual pre-movie cutesy family fics with him and his girls (his "girls" being Danielle and her mom, just in case you didn't know, which you probably did...oh God, I'm rambling, somebody stop me!) Bottom line, I love Dawson and wanted him to get a bigger role in one of my fics.**

**Next chapter, Danielle and Dawson question Mr. Alfred Brennan. Does he really have no idea where his partner is? Or is he hiding something? If you wants to know, you gots to tune in!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


	2. Questioning the Witness

**Howdy, peeps! Hope you're ready for the next exciting chapter of The Lady Mouse Detective!**

Danielle and Dawson made their way together to the human flat above their home. They waited quietly as the two humans who lived there, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, were discussing a case and preparing to head out to do some investigation. As they waited, Danielle felt an odd fluttery feeling in her stomach. She moaned as she clutched at her belly.

"Danielle, dear, are you all right?" Dawson asked the young lady.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a few butterflies," Danielle replied. "I guess I'm just a little nervous about being on my first case."

Dawson smiled. "I understand that. I remember my first case, I was very excited AND anxious. It's a completely understandable feeling."

The mice waited until Holmes and Watson had left, then crawled out into the main room. "Toby!" Dawson called out. "Toby, where are you?" Just then, the floor shook like an earthquake, and within moments a panting basset hound was standing in front of them. He playfully licked Danielle, but he growled at Dawson.

"Toby, be a good boy," Danielle giggled at the hound. The dog looked around, confused. "Basil's not feeling well, so I'm going on the case with Dr. Dawson," the girl explained. "Is that all right, boy?" Toby panted happily. "Good. Now let's go. We're off to Kingsleigh and Brennan's Law Firm." She grabbed a nearby leash and hooked it to the dog's blue collar. Then, she and Dawson climbed onto his back. "All right, Toby, onward!" Toby obeyed and ran out of the flat and onto the street. He ran so fast that Dawson was knocked from his seat and had to grab onto the dog's tail in order to stay on. Danielle held onto his collar and stayed on, feeling sick.

* * *

Finally, the hound stopped in front of Kingsleigh and Brennan's. "Good boy, Toby," Danielle praised him, patting him on the head. She crawled down onto the ground, with Dawson crashing next to her.

Just then, Dawson noticed the girl's rather pale and sickly face. "Are you certain you're all right, my dear? You look a bit ill."

"I'm fine, Doctor, just a little dog sick, I guess. I'm more used to traveling by cat."

Dawson eyed the girl, not fully convinced that she was well. "You're not coming down with something, are you? Because if you want, I can just handle the case by myself."

"No, no, no, no, I'm FINE," Danielle tried to reassure him. "Like I said, just some motion sickness. I'll be perfectly fine in a minute."

"Well, if you're sure..." Dawson went up to the door of Kingsleigh and Brennan's and went in. Danielle stayed behind for a minute, frowning. She wasn't being fully honest with the doctor. For the past week or so, she had been feeling nauseous at odd times. She didn't know what was causing it, but she knew that something was wrong. She had just been hoping that it would go away by itself. Danielle let out a small whine as she gently rubbed her tummy. "If I don't feel better by tomorrow, I'll tell the doctor," she made the same promise she had made for the past week. Then, she went in behind Dawson.

* * *

Dawson and Danielle looked around the building. It was very old, and not very friendly-looking. They went up to the desk, where the secretary greeted them. "Can I help you folks?"

"Excuse me, madam, but we're looking for Mr. Brennan," Dawson told her, tipping his hat. "Is he in today?"

"I'm afraid not," the secretary replied.

"Oh, well this is rather urgent," Dawson told her. "Would you happen to know when he'll be back?"

"He didn't tell me."

"Oh for the love of God," Danielle groaned, pushing Dawson out of the way. "Listen, lady, Brennan is the main suspect in the recent disappearance of his partner, and we're not leaving until you tell us when he's going to be back, or where he lives, or SOMETHING!" Dawson gaped at the young woman, both impressed and frightened.

The secretary blinked. "I...I really DON'T know when he's coming back, but I DO know where he lives. Maybe you can reach him there." She took out a piece of paper and wrote down the address, then handed it to Danielle. "H-Here."

Danielle snatched the paper away from the secretary, then became immediately brighter and happier. "Thank you, madam." She turned to walk out, with Dawson closely following her.

* * *

"What the deuce was that back there?" Dawson asked as they rode Toby to Brennan's home address.

"What do you mean?" Danielle asked.

"In the law firm," Dawson explained. "One moment you were ready to shove your fist down that woman's throat, and then the next you're the most cheerful mouse in London!"

"I don't know, I guess I was just tired of not getting results," Danielle replied.

"Well, a good detective doesn't just lose himself...or in your case HERself, just like that," Dawson instructed her. "You have to control your temper, even when the people you're questioning aren't giving you what you want to hear."

Danielle sighed. "You're right, Doctor. I'm sorry."

"That's quite all right. You're still new to this. But please be careful. The next mouse you try that tactic on might not cooperate as well as the secretary did."

"Right." Danielle frowned. This isn't good, she thought. Whatever virus I have must be messing with my emotions now. Wait, is that even possible? Oh wonderful, I have some sort of new virus that upsets your stomach AND turns you into an irritable arse! As soon as we find this Kingsleigh fellow, I'm telling Dr. Dawson EVERYTHING!

Once Toby found Brennan's home, the two mice dismounted and went up to the door. Dawson knocked on the door. Within seconds, a pale gray mouse with icy blue eyes opened the door. "Good evening, sir. Might you be Alfred Brennan?"

"Yes," Brennan replied, eyeing the two oddly. "And who might you two be?"

"I'm Dr. David Q. Dawson, and this is Danielle Benson. We're consulting detectives. We're here to ask you a few questions about your business partner, Harold Kingsleigh."

Upon hearing the mouse's name, Brennan took off running in the street. "After him!" Danielle yelled. She chased after Brennan, with Dawson trying to follow, but being older and less in shape than she was he had a hard time trying to catch up.

The two chased after Brennan through a few alleys, until finally Danielle caught up to him and lunged at him, knocking him down. "No, no, no, please!" Brennan pleaded as she pinned him to the ground. "I swear, I swear to God, I don't know where Kingsleigh is!"

"Then why did you run?" Dawson inquired.

"Because I knew that you wouldn't believe my story," Brennan responded.

"Try us," Danielle replied, in a tone that told the pinned mouse that if he lied to them he'd be in big trouble.

Brennan took a deep breath. "Could you please let go of me?"

"Depends...are you going to run away again?"

"No."

Danielle reluctantly let the mouse go, and true to his word he didn't run. "It...It all happened about four nights ago. Kingsleigh and I, we just went out to a local pub for a few pints. It's a thing he and I do every week. We're not just business partners, we've been best mates since law school. I was even the best man at Kingsleigh's wedding. Well, anyway, we went to the pub, and I had a few too many. I got completely drunk. Kingsleigh, he was always a better man than me, he only had, maybe one or two. All I remember is getting drunk at the pub and flirting with some pretty girls, and then everything went blurry...I must've passed out at some time. Anyway, the next clear thing I remember is waking up the next morning in my bed. Kingsleigh must have walked me home sometime before blacking out. Like I said, he's a better man than me. So I go into the office with a splitting headache, and Kingsleigh doesn't show up. I figured, he probably had more than I thought he had, so he must be sleeping it off. But then when I went to check on him at noon, his wife tells me that he never came home. I was too ashamed of myself to tell her the whole truth, so I just told her that I didn't know anything about Kingsleigh disappearing. I swear to God, that's all I know!"

"You're telling the truth?" Dawson asked.

"May God strike me down if I'm not."

Danielle stared into Brennan's eyes. She was silent for a moment, almost looking into his very soul. Then, she nodded. "He's telling the truth. I can tell. All right, Mr. Brennan, all you need to do is tell us the name of the pub you went to, and you're free to go."

"The Rat Trap...we went to the Rat Trap," Brennan answered. With that, he got up and ran.

"The Rat Trap?" Danielle repeated the name. "That's the pub that my father's henchmen used to go to!"

"That's right! I remember going there with Basil on our first case to find his secret lair!" Dawson agreed.

Danielle nodded as she mounted Toby. "Come on, back to Baker Street. We need to do a costume change."

**Yay, Toby! I love Toby! I even named my own dog Toby (although my Toby is a bichon frise rather than a basset hound). Why that dog doesn't like Dawson, I'll never know.**

**Hmm, Danielle's not feeling too well. Hope she's going to be OK. ;)**

**Next chapter, Danielle and Dawson head to the Rat Trap. Oh boy, this is going to be awesome!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


	3. The Rat Trap

**Hey there, amigos! Here you go, the next chapter of The Lady Mouse Detective! Hope you enjoy!**

Later, back at Baker Street, Dawson and Danielle were changing into more appropriate outfits for a seedy pub like the Rat Trap. Dawson was in Basil's room, catching him up on everything, and Danielle was in the washroom, with Mrs. Judson helping her. At one point, the housekeeper was cinching a black belt around the younger woman's waist.

"Um, Mrs. Judson, could you maybe make the belt a bit looser, please?" Danielle asked. "My stomach has been acting up lately, and I'm afraid constricting around it would just make it worse."

Mrs. Judson smiled and nodded. "Of course, dearie." She made the belt looser, then began to help Danielle fix her long black hair. "So when are you going to tell the men?"

"Tell them about what?" Danielle asked.

"About the baby."

Danielle eyed the older woman oddly. "What baby?"

"THIS baby, my dear," Mrs. Judson replied, gently placing her hand on Danielle's stomach. "The one growing inside you as we speak."

Danielle blinked. Her eyes slowly shifted downward to her tummy. "I'm...I'm pregnant?" She looked up at Mrs. Judson. "But...how could you tell, before even I could?"

"I know all the signs, lovey," Mrs. Judson explained. "The nausea, the mood swings, the increased appetite...they all point to you having a little bundle of joy in your belly."

Danielle frowned. She hadn't really thought about it before, but she realized that she HAD been eating slightly more than usual, and that the incident at the law firm was not the first quick emotion change she had. "My, you certainly are observant, aren't you, Mrs. J?"

Mrs. Judson laughed. "When you have a detective for a tenant for as long as I have, you learn a few tricks. Now when are you telling Basil and Dr. Dawson?"

"I don't know, probably after the case is over," Danielle replied.

"Are you certain it's a good idea for you to keep on the case?" Mrs. Judson asked. "A place like the Rat Trap is dangerous, especially for a young lady in your condition."

"You forget, Mrs. Judson, that I grew up around thugs," Danielle reminded her. "While most little girls played with dolls, I was wrestling with London's most nefarious ne'er-do-wells and pinning them to the ground. I think I can handle the Rat Trap."

Mrs. Judson sighed. "All right, dearie, if you're certain...just do be careful, won't you? I've waited so long for Basil to finally settle down and start a family, it's almost like I'm becoming a grandmother myself."

"Don't worry, Mrs. J, I'll be careful," Danielle promised.

* * *

"Stay, Toby, good boy," Danielle told the hound as she and Dawson dismounted. They were at the docks where the Rat Trap was located, both dressed as sailors. Dawson wore a pink striped shirt that barely covered his rotund belly and his usual trousers, and Danielle wore a loose-fitting blue sweater, a pair of Basil's black trousers, black shoes, and a dark blue newsboys cap that hid her long hair.

Danielle smiled and hummed as the two mice made their way to the pub. "My, you certainly seem to be feeling better, my dear," Dawson noticed the girl's cheery mood.

"Oh, yes, MUCH better," Danielle replied.

"That's good. I was afraid that you might be coming down with Basil's flu."

"Oh, no, like I said before, there was nothing wrong with me." _I'm just going to have a baby, that's all_, Danielle thought to herself as she absent-mindedly rested her hand on her tummy.

The two mice went into the pub together and sat at a vacant table. As they did, various thugs glared at them. The thick smell of smoke from various cigars and cigarettes began to make Danielle nauseous, but she kept it to herself.

Just then, an ample-bosomed bar maid went up to the table. "What'll ya have, boys?" Then, she saw Dawson. "Hey, ain't I seen you here before?"

"Me mate an' I'll have two pints," Danielle answered in a gruff masculine voice before the bar maid could fully recognize Dawson. She retched as she caught another whiff of smoke.

The bar maid looked at the disguised girl oddly and turned to Dawson. "What's wrong with your friend here? He acts as if he ain't ever been to a pub before."

"I ain't, this is me first time," Danielle replied in her man's voice. "Me mate here told me that this is the place to go when you're in port, though, so I thought I'd check it out." She retched violently again, leaning over. Her hat tumbled off of her head, revealing her hair. "Oh, dear."

"Hey, he's a broad!" one thug realized.

"Not just ANY broad!" another added. "It's Basil of Baker Street's wife! And the fat guy is his partner!"

"Let's get 'em!" a third thug announced. With that, a group of thugs tried to jump the two mice, but Danielle started to fight them off. One mouse tried to grab at her, but she ducked out of the way, and the mouse then grabbed another mouse, which started a whole big fight.

Upon seeing the chaos starting, Dawson grabbed Danielle by the hand. "This way!" He led her quickly and carefully through the brawl, to a secret trap door behind the bar. He opened it, and the two mice crawled down and out of the pub.

* * *

"How did you know about this door?" Danielle asked once they were in the sewers, away from the bar. "I thought only my father's men knew about that door."

"That door is how Basil and I found your father's secret lair," Dawson explained. "I must say, you handled yourself very well in that brawl. I've never seen a young lady...no, ANY mouse, who could fight better than you just did. It was amazing." Then, he noticed that Danielle was looking depressed. "Danielle, dear, what's wrong?"

"The only reason that brawl started was because I lost my hat and exposed myself, and the only reason I lost my hat was because I started to get sick again," Danielle started to weep. "I shouldn't be here. I'm no detective. I can't solve crimes. I can't even keep my morning sickness under control."

"Now now now, my dear, you're doing a fantastic job," Dawson tried to reassure her. "Losing part of your disguise was just an accident. I remember I almost blew my cover my first case. You see, I..." Just then, the doctor realized something. "Morning sickness?" He gasped. "You mean, you're..."

Danielle nodded as she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Uh-huh."

"What...that's...that's WONDERFUL!" Dawson replied. "How...how long have you known?"

"Only a few hours. Mrs. Judson actually figured it out before I did." Danielle chuckled. "See what I mean? I can't even figure out when my own body is telling me that I'm with child. Maybe I should just go back home."

"What do you mean? I need your help," Dawson told her. "After all, I'm not the most observant of mice." He winked at her, making her giggle.

"But we can't go back to the Rat Trap," Danielle sighed. "They'll recognize us and try to jump us again. It's useless. Now we'll NEVER figure out what happened to Kingsleigh."

"Kingsleigh?" a voice asked. The two mice looked over to see a large rat in grimy clothes standing there. "You're lookin' for a Kingsleigh? By any chance, would this be Harold Kingsleigh you're lookin' for?"

"Why, yes, yes we are," Dawson replied. "Do you know where he is?"

"No, but I did see him leave the Rat Trap a few nights ago," the rat replied. He looked over at Danielle. "Say, ain't you Padraic Ratigan's kid?" Danielle nodded. "I knew your pop back before he turned to crime. God, that guy was smart. Real successful at his job. We all thought that if anyone could turn life around for us rats, he could. Show those stupid mice that we ain't so different from them. But then he went and turned to crime. Had to become the rule instead of the exception." The rat sighed.

"I'm very sorry that my father disappointed you, sir, but we're not here about him, we're here about Mr. Kingsleigh," Danielle replied. "Did you happen to see where Mr. Kingsleigh went?"

"Yeah, I followed him for a while, figured I'd jump him and get some money so my family can eat...not a lot of job opportunities for us rats, y'know? He was draggin' some guy with him that had gotten wasted off his ass...anyway, I followed them all the way to the drunk guy's house. Once he had dropped off his pal, that Kingsleigh guy left and headed home, I'm guessin'. I could tell his name was Kingsleigh 'cuz his pal kept callin' him "Harold, old boy" and "Kingsleigh," real loud...anyway, I followed Kingsleigh in the shadows, but then I lost him. It was like the guy vanished like a ghost or somethin'!"

"And where was that?" Danielle asked.

"It was...it was...around the corner of Dorset and Chiltern."

"Why, that's not too far away from Baker Street!" Dawson realized.

Danielle nodded. "We're a step closer to finding out where Kingsleigh is!" She turned to the rat. "Thank you, my good sir. You've helped us immensely."

"Anything for a lovely lady with rat blood in 'er," the rat responded. The two mice dashed off through the sewer pipes. "Good luck to both of you!"

**And the case gets even MORE mysterious!**

**Yay, Danielle's pregnant...as if it wasn't obvious enough when I made her so sick in the previous chapter. What can I say, I'm really bad at keeping story bits like that a secret. To paraphrase the Nostalgia Critic, I'm about as subtle as a freaking train wreck on a boat. **

**Hmm, who is that mysterious rat who helped Danielle and Dawson, I wonder...oh who cares, he's just a one-shot character, he's never coming back.**

**What will happen next chapter? Ya gotta read to find out!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


	4. Solving the Case

**Here it is, the final chapter of The Lady Mouse Detective! I hope you've enjoyed reading it so far, and I hope you enjoy this chap!**

The two mice made their way to the corner of Dorset and Chiltern. They went into an alley to check. "Well, this is where our friend told us he last saw Kingsleigh," Danielle confirmed. "But I don't see any signs of anyone being here, do you, Doctor?" She looked over at Dawson, who she noticed had his eyes fixed on her belly. She groaned. "Hey, Doctor, my eyes are up here."

"Oh, sorry, Danielle," Dawson apologized, shifting his gaze to her face. "I just can't believe that you're expecting. And so soon. I mean, you and Basil just got married last August."

Danielle shrugged. "What can I say, we Ratigans tend to do things fast. My father went from being a university student to being head of the mathematics department in one summer."

"Well, have you any idea how far along you are?" Dawson asked.

"Hey, I've only known that I was pregnant for a few hours longer than you have, remember?" Danielle sighed as she gently rubbed her stomach. "But if I had to guess, I'd say probably a month and a half, seeing as that's the last time Basil and I...well, you know." She blushed a little. "But we should be focusing on the case now, not my baby."

"Of course." With that, the two mice shut up about the subject and continued searching for any signs of Kingsleigh.

Suddenly, they heard a crashing sound coming from near a garbage can. "Is that...?" Dawson asked. They turned towards the source of the crash...to see a large black and white cat standing there. "Oh my word!" Dawson ran to hide from the cat, but Danielle stood her ground. "Danielle! Get over here!" But she didn't move. Dawson winced and shut his eyes, expecting to hear bones crunching as the cat devoured Danielle and her unborn child...

...and instead heard purring. Confused, Dawson opened one eye and looked over, then gaped at the sight of Danielle rubbing the cat behind the ear as it lay on the ground, essentially taming it. "What the devil...?"

Danielle smiled. "My father wasn't the ONLY member of the family who was able to make friends with cats." She continued rubbing the cat behind the ear. The cat then flipped over onto its back, and Danielle began to rub its belly, making it purr even more.

Dawson frowned as he approached the scene. "You don't think that cat...?"

Once Danielle realized what Dawson was saying, she gasped. "I hadn't thought about that, but it IS possible." She turned to the cat. "Mr. Cat, by any chance, did you see a mouse a few nights ago?" The cat flipped back onto his stomach and eyed her. "A mouse who looks like this?" She took a newspaper clipping out of her pocket that had a picture of Kingsleigh on it. The cat looked at the picture and nodded. "Do you know where he is now?" The cat nodded again. "Well, is he still alive?" Again, the cat nodded.

"Oh thank goodness," Dawson sighed with relief. "I would've hated to have to inform Mrs. Kingsleigh that her husband had been eaten by a cat."

"So would I," Danielle agreed. She looked back at the cat. "Could you please take us to where he is?" The cat positioned himself so that the two mice could climb onto his back, which they did so. Once they were on, he got back onto his paws and slinked off.

* * *

"My, this is the first time I've ever traveled by cat," Dawson commented as they rode the cat down Dorset Street.

Danielle laughed. "It's fun, isn't it?"

Dawson clutched onto some fur as the cat leapt onto a fence and leapt back down onto the ground. "Not really."

* * *

Finally, the cat stopped in front of a discarded boot in an alley. He pointed a paw at it. The mice climbed off of his back. "Thank you, Mr. Cat," Danielle told the feline, petting him. The cat slinked away, and the mice went over to the boot and peered inside, where they saw a male mouse in his early thirties, with chocolate brown fur and dark brown eyes, lying there, breathing but looking badly hurt. Danielle took out her clipping and compared the picture to the mouse. "It's him," she confirmed. She went up to him. "Mr. Kingsleigh?"

The mouse jumped and looked up at her. "Y-Yes. Who are you?"

"My name is Danielle Benson," Danielle introduced herself. "Over there is my friend, Dr. Dawson. We've been sent by your wife Vanessa to find you."

Kingsleigh blinked. "Vanessa sent someone to find me?" He shook his head. "It's been four days since I've seen her. Oh God, my poor Vanessa! She must be worried sick!"

"Yes, she is," Danielle assured him. "Come on, let's get you home." She reached for Kingsleigh's hand, but he jerked away from her.

"No, no, I can't go." He quivered. "I can't leave this boot, or they'll go after Vanessa next. They said that if I left this boot, they'd go to our flat and murder her!"

"Who's they?" Danielle asked.

"That would be us," came a gruff voice. Danielle turned to the mouth of the boot, where a group of tough-looking mice stood. The largest of them had Dawson in a headlock and had covered the doctor's mouth with his hand.

"Who are YOU?" Danielle demanded, unafraid.

"We're the Dorset Bunch, the toughest, meanest thugs this side of the pond," the head thug replied. "Maybe you've heard of us, girly? Or do ya not follow the news?"

"I've heard of you boys, all right," Danielle responded, placing her hands on her hips. "You're those ruffians who held up Norris' jewelry store on Manchester Street last April and made off with nearly twenty thousand pounds worth of jewels."

"That's right," the head thug sneered. "And we woulda gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for that Kingsleigh bastard. He was the prosecutin' attorney representin' Norris', and he made such a case that we all spent three months in the slammer, so when we saw him in our neck of the woods a few nights ago, we jumped him. He now serves as our personal punchin' bag."

"Your arrest and prosecution were hardly Mr. Kingsleigh's fault," Danielle retorted. "If you didn't want to spend time in jail, you shouldn't have robbed a hard-working jeweler."

The head thug chuckled and turned to his men, jerking a thumb in Danielle's direction. "Aww, will ya listen to this bitch, boys? She sounds like one of 'em uppity Scotland Yard detectives!" That got the rest of the men laughing. "Or even worse, she sounds like that dumbass consultin' detective Basil of Baker Street!" That got them laughing even harder.

POW! Danielle punched the head thug right in the nose, knocking him flat on his back. "Don't you DARE insult my husband like that!" she threatened him.

The head thug rubbed his nose and got up. "Well what are you guys waitin' for? Get her!"

The Dorset Bunch began to attack Danielle. Unfortunately for them, they had no idea that the girl was such a good fighter. She punched and kicked like a professional boxer. At one point, one of the men had gotten behind her and pulled a knife out of his pocket. Dawson managed to get his captor to uncover his mouth. "Danielle! Look out!" Danielle turned to see the thug and managed to kick the knife out of his hand before he could stab her, then threw him over her shoulder, slamming him to the ground. By the end, all of the thugs were on the ground moaning, partially because they were in pain and partially because they were shocked that a nineteen-year-old girl had managed to beat them all up.

Danielle pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave now and never show your ugly faces in this part of London again," she told them. With that, the Dorset Bunch, the toughest, meanest thugs that side of the pond, ran away screaming like little girls. Danielle smirked as she folded her arms over her chest. "Smart men."

Dawson went up to Kingsleigh and helped him onto his feet. "Come on, my good fellow, let's get you home."

* * *

The detectives escorted Kingsleigh back to his flat, where he was greeted by an overjoyed Vanessa with a tight embrace and a kiss. They sat him down on the sofa, where Dawson tended to his injuries.

Vanessa was sobbing with joy as Danielle told her the story. "You've saved my darling Harold from those villains! Oh, I don't know how to thank you enough!" She hugged Danielle tightly.

"You could start by not trying to break all of my bones," Danielle gasped.

"Oh, sorry," Vanessa apologized, letting go of the lady detective. "I'm just so thankful to both of you!"

"Well, most of your thanks should be going to Danielle," Dawson told her. "She's the one who fought off the Dorset Bunch."

Vanessa eyed Danielle oddly. "A lady fighting off a group of thugs? I must say, that's quite unorthodox...but then again, so is a lady detective, I suppose. Thank you so much, my dear."

Danielle smiled. "You're welcome, Mrs. Kingsleigh."

* * *

"...and then she threw one of those ruffians over her shoulder and just pounded him into the ground, like a hammer!"

The two were back at Baker Street. Dawson was telling the story of the case to Basil, who was feeling well enough to get out of bed, and Mrs. Judson.

"...and then when she was done, they all ran away from her like scared little kittens!" Dawson laughed. "Oh, Basil, you should have SEEN it! Your wife positively mopped the FLOOR with those cretins!"

Basil smiled at his wife, who was sitting next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "That's my girl." He kissed the top of her head. "You did a marvelous job, Danielle my love. Perhaps I should have you come along on more of my cases."

Danielle giggled. "Thank you, Basil, but I don't think I'll be going back on anymore cases anytime soon...especially seeing as in a few months my tummy will be growing too big to fit into any of your disguises."

Basil eyed his wife oddly, then gasped as he realized what she meant. "You mean, you're...I'm...we're...?" Danielle nodded. "Wha...gah...I can't...this is..." The detective fainted.

Mrs. Judson chuckled. "I'd say he took the news swimmingly."

* * *

Once Basil had come to, the Baker Street crew celebrated the news of Basil and Danielle having a baby. That night, the future parents snuggled in bed together for the first time since Basil got sick, with Basil gently pressing his hand against his wife's stomach. Danielle giggled. "You DO know that it's too soon for the baby to be kicking quite yet, right?" she asked. "It's too little right now."

"I know, but I just can't believe after all these years, I'm finally going to be a father," Basil sighed. "It's just so surreal."

"You think it's surreal for YOU? I'M the one who's going to be carrying it for the next seven and a half months."

"Seven and a half months..." Basil repeated. "Landsakes, I don't think I could carry ANYTHING in my belly for seven and a half months." He smirked. "I guess that's why God made it so that women have the babies...He knew men wouldn't be able to handle it." They both laughed.

Once they had calmed down from their laughter, Basil smiled at his wife. "I really am quite proud of you, Danielle. You handled your first case like a regular professional. I really should make you another partner once the baby is weaned."

Danielle laughed. "Slow down, Basil, the baby's just gotten in here..." She gently patted her tummy. "...and already you're talking about when it's going to be weaned."

Basil shrugged. "I like to think things ahead."

"You, Basil Sherringford Benson, are insane," Danielle playfully teased her husband. She kissed him on the cheek. "And I love you for that."

**OK, admittingly the ending was kinda mushy...then again, I'm a mushy, mushy person, so yeah.**

**Now before you guys get on my case about Basil's comment about men not being able to handle having a baby...I originally heard that comment from one of my best guy friends, and when I asked my dad AND my older brother about its validity they both said that it was true, so I DO have male support on the validity of the comment, so HA!**

**I know what you're probably thinking...where was Olivia in this fic? She's living at Baker Street now since you killed off her dad, right? Yes, she is, but she wasn't really relevant to the story, so just pretend that she's either at school or in bed in the various chapters. Also, I'm thinking about writing a one-shot where Basil and Danielle tell her that they're going to have a baby. Would you guys read that?**

**Thanks for reading, y'all! Hope you enjoyed this fic!**

**All my best, DiscordantPrincess.**


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